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Suffering in silence! Hundreds of players at risk of depression and suicide, says PFA boss Carlisle

By Joe Bernstein

In
an effort to help the hundreds of footballers across the country
suffering in silence from depression, Clarke Carlisle has opened up
about the day he tried to kill himself when he was a young professional
at QPR.

Carlisle, a well-respected figure who represented nine
clubs in a 16-year playing career that ended last month, remains
chairman of the players' union and was dubbed Britain's Brainiest
Footballer before appearing on Question Time.Harrowing tale: Players' boss Clarke Carlisle

Harrowing tale: Players' boss Clarke Carlisle

But
as a scared and confused 21-year-old, he went to his local park in west
London with 56 painkillers and a bottle of beer to wash them down, his
mind struggling to cope with a serious injury he thought would not only
cost him his career but also respect from his friends and family.Football's suicide secret

The documentary by film-maker Anna Keel, part of the BBC’s It’s A Mad World season, will be screened on BBC3, Tuesday, at 9pm

'I'd
decided that ending my life was the best and most pain-free solution
for everyone,' said Carlisle, who is working with the FA to create a
specialist, confidential hotline for players suffering from depression.
'It wasn't a cry for help. I downed the pills and was expecting some
really dramatic ending, like a movie scene.

'When that didn't
happen, I thought I'd go back to my flat, have another can and go to
sleep [forever], job done. It's frightening, really frightening, to
think about my state of mind back then.'

Fortunately for
Carlisle, he was found in time and had his stomach pumped in hospital,
although depression and alcoholism continued to dog him throughout
spells with Blackpool, QPR, Leeds, Watford, Luton, Burnley, Preston,
York and Northampton.

Now the 33-year-old's turbulent experiences
have led him to present a challenging and sensitive TV documentary,
Football's Suicide Secret, in which he speaks to the sister of the late
Wales manager, Gary Speed, and to other players who have attempted to
take their lives.

The list of football's suicide victims is
growing: Speed, Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke, Justin Fashanu, Alan
Davies, who played in an FA Cup final for Manchester United, Lou
Macari's son, Jonathan, and Paul Vaessen, of Arsenal.Call: PFA chief Carlisle wants a confidential hotline for sufferers

Call: PFA chief Carlisle wants a confidential hotline for sufferers

Alarmingly,
Carlisle, in his only newspaper interview before his programme is
broadcast on BBC Three on Tuesday, thinks the cases we know about are
just the tip of the iceberg.

'I will categorically state there
are hundreds of players suffering with this,' he said. 'The numbers in
society are one in four and footballers are members of that society. The
thing about football is that the reluctance to come forward and speak
means there are so many guys sitting under the radar.

'As PFA
chairman, I've had 15-20 guys come to me and say, "Clarke, there's
something wrong with me and I don't know what it is or where I should
go". All they know is they want to be out of football, out of the
system. And those are just the ones who had my number and felt they
could call. You cannot undersell this.'

Given Carlisle's
Mensa-level IQ, there will be those who think he should have known
better than to 'drink through an entire summer' as he confesses in his
documentary after losing a play-off final. Others will regard
footballers in general as too well paid to deserve sympathy.

But
he believes the view is born out of misunderstanding. 'Depression is a
chemical imbalance in the brain that needs adjustment. Your wealth, job
or intelligence don't make you immune,' he said. 'It's as bona fide an
illness as gastro-enteritis. It needs to be diagnosed and treated.
Stephen Fry is probably the most intelligent man I've ever come across -
and he has suffered from it.'

To combat his demons, Clarke has
turned heavily in the past to drink - the Achilles' heel of many other
prominent players such as Paul Gascoigne, Tony Adams and Paul McGrath.'My
belief and experience is that the majority of substance abuse is born
out of depression,' said Carlisle. 'I believe my alcoholism was to try
to alter my state of mind, and that was because of my general level of
unhappiness.

'Now my depression has been diagnosed, I take drugs
every morning. It's not a "happy pill" that makes challenges go away,
but it balances my brain so I can see clearly the challenges I face.'

Carlisle
says the problem for players in the macho world of football is
admitting they may need help. 'Many people see football as the greatest
job in the world,' he said. 'My parents had to raise four kids on next
to nothing. How could I tell them I was struggling when I was in this
fantastic vocation? So I put on this facade that everything was
fantastic.

'There's also a fear of divulging your innermost
thoughts to anyone in the game. Football's grapevine is so quick.' In
one momentous and emotionally-charged day, Carlisle returned to the park
in Acton where he had tried to end it all, then travelled that
afternoon to meet Speed's sister, Lesley. 'It was incredibly heavy,' he
said. 'I was really apprehensive because no amount of sympathy is going
to be enough. The only thing that had any power was empathy, letting
Lesley know I had gone as far as Gary had and understood the damage
depression can do.'

Afterwards, a clearly-moved Carlisle vows the
only way Speed's death will not be in vain is to try to save others. He
hopes the phone hotline for the country's 50,000 current and
ex-footballers is a good starting point. 'The first point of contact is
vital,' he said. 'If someone has got to the point where they want to
make that call, it has to be to the right person. It is vital the
phoneline should sit outside the industry, where they can speak to
someone safe in the knowledge their problems will be taken seriously and
in confidence.'

Carlisle also wants proper research into what
are the most common triggers of depression in the game; to what extent
injuries, moving clubs, retirement and other factors mess up players'
heads.

Above all, he hopes players can break the traditional
football culture of acting tough and start talking about problems. 'A
huge part of the solution is the ability to verbalise your fears,' said
Carlisle. 'And having that trusting person there not to take advantage
of your vulnerability.

The defender returned to Anzhi ­Makhachkala for £12.5million earlier this week, but insists: "I was not planning to go anywhere"Return:
Christopher Samba says it wasn't an easy decision to leave Loftus Road
Return: Christopher Samba says it wasn't an easy decision to leave
Loftus RoadGetty

Christopher Samba has explained the reasons
behind his remarkable £12.5million move from QPR after just six months
at Loftus Road.

Samba has returned to ­Russian team Anzhi ­Makhachkala – the team he left to join QPR in January.

Samba
re-joined for the same money paid out by QPR and revealed: “It was a
big ­decision and not one that was easy to make. I wanted to help the
club to get straight back into the Premier League, where they should
be.”

But he met with QPR ­chairman Tony Fernandes after Anzhi made an offer too good to refuse.

“I
was getting mentally ­prepared for the battle in the Championship to
come back up,” said central ­defender Samba who has signed a three-year
deal in Russia.

Pass and move: Samba was ready for a season in the ChampionshipPaul Gilham

“Tony
Fernandes is a great man. Tony wanted to keep me and help him back up,
but I believe the offer from Russia was too good to let it pass by.

“I was not planning to go anywhere. I wanted to reward the club for their support by helping them come back up.”

Samba played only 10 times for Rangers and revealed he was never fit during his spell at Loftus Road.

“I
wasn’t 100 per cent fit ­during my time at the club,” said the
29-year-old Congo international. “So I couldn’t give my best to the club
and the fans who deserved better. They are great fans and then stood by
the team despite the results.”

Head-scratcher: Harry Redknapp and the club will be ready to battle for promotionMichael Regan

But
Samba believes that his move back to Russia will leave a legacy that
could have a positive spin-off for Rangers by enabling them to bring in
players to re-inforce Harry Redknapp’s squad.

“Rangers already
have a great squad," said Samba. “But it is true that with the money
they have got, I hope they do some smart recruitment to get the players
they need to face the battle for promotion.”

Samba has arranged
for his family to join him in Russia for this second spell, and he
added: “My family are with me this time in Russia. That was a big part
of my conditions.”

Samba’s agent Walid Bouzid added: “Christopher
has a ­special relationship with Tony Fernandes, but QPR could not miss
out on a great deal.” - Mail

Australian midfielder Nick Ward has today signed a two year deal with QPR.Ward jetted in to Heathrow early this morning and was taken straight to the club's Harlington training ground for a medical.With
the all clear after being put through his paces by physio Prav Mathema,
the 21 year old then put pen to paper at the main ground.Speaking
of his move, Ward said: "I want to cement my place in the team as a
first team regular and I've already set myself a target of scoring over
10 goals this season."Of course I've also got a team target of getting QPR into the play offs come next May."Ward
made 21 appearances for Hyundai A-League side Perth Glory last season,
bagging five goals - has represented his country at all levels and only
just missed out on a spot in the Socceroo's World Cup squad.

Ward
also won this year's A-League 'Rising Star' award and was recently
included in a 'Who's Who' of the best young players to watch on the FIFA
website.

Speaking of the difference between English and
Australian football, he said: "The game is a lot slower over in
Australia, mainly because of the heat, whereas here it's a lot quicker
with not as much time on the ball."I know that in the lower leagues
especially they like to play the long ball game, but not in the
Championship and especially not at QPR next year."I like to play
good football, that's what I've always tried to do, I like to get the
ball down and pass it, get forward and score goals."Ward has been
given today off to recover from the 24 hour journey, but will train with
those who are not travelling to Aldershot on Saturday morning.He
will then travel to the Recreation Ground to see his new team mates in
action.Tune in to QPR World on Monday for an exclusive interview with
our latest signing.